Dynamics of bacterial replisomes

Replisomes are large protein complexes that replicate genomes with remarkable speed and accuracy. In my talk, I will present a theoretical connection between the dynamics of replisomes and the distribution of DNA abundance in an exponentially growing bacterial population. Our approach permits inference of the replisome dynamics from deep sequencing measurements. As an application, we experimentally measured the DNA abundance distribution in growing Escherichia coli populations. We find that the replisome speed increases with temperature and present regular and repeatable oscillations along the genome. I will discuss possible dynamical origins of these oscillations. Our approach has the potential to elucidate replication dynamics in other bacterial species.